Some people give me way too much credit, and Julia is one of those people. I wish it were true that Leo's sweater were finished and blocking, as she suggested, but it's not quite the case. However, it is terribly close to being done.
I'm just working on the neck now.
Leo looks amazingly good in turtlenecks, however, with sweaters, he finds that his stubble is always tearing the turtleneck apart, wearing out the sweater long before it's truly ready to be retired. This sweater will have a mock turtleneck and several separate full turtleneck pieces to tuck in and switch out as necessary. If that just doesn't work, I have the yarn and can simply remove the bind off on the mock turtleneck and knit a full turtleneck each time one wears out.
Leo has tried on the sweater up to the point you saw it in the last post. He has declared that the fit, fabric and look are all up to his standards, so I'm feeling pretty good about the endeavor.
For those of you who knit a lot of raglans, you may have noticed that the shoulder shaping is a bit different than one might expect. Instead of a steady slope, there is a true shoulder shape at the top. Do you see what I mean?
Here's a little sneak peek of how I did that.
There is an extra "raglan" running along the top of the shoulder that extends from the neckline to about the end of the shoulder (I actually stopped about a half inch short of the final shoulder length). Calculating it was an interesting challenge and I did it by printing out gauge sized charts and origami folding it to the right shape. This is not quite so mathematical as one might hope. Eventually, I plan to work out a pattern and will have to use my experience with this piece to write up a more useful explanation for determining the correct ratio.
Oh, and the sweater has been named. It's now "The Big Four-Oh" in honor of Leo's birthday. And I agree with any of you who share the sentiment that Leo doesn't look at all like he is 40.
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Comments (10)
My husband does the same thing to the necklines of his sweaters (and not just turtlenecks) -- so I like your idea of replaceable necklines.
Also, the shoulder shaping on that sweater looks really cool. I'd like to hear more details about how you did it. And I can't wait to see how it looks on.
Posted by Persnickety Knitter | June 7, 2006 6:11 AM
Posted on June 7, 2006 06:11
Hi Marnie,
Have fun celebrating this weekend. Just wanted you to know that I have used metal circular needles flying post-9/11 from India to the United States with no problems. Not sure if it is the same flying from the US to India because I can't remember if I've taken circulars that way or not. My sense it it really depends on who is working in the airport the day you fly. Feel free to email me if you want more information - go to India a lot.
Posted by Carla | June 6, 2006 6:19 PM
Posted on June 6, 2006 18:19
Yay! I can't wait to see it on Mr. Leo. It's a fabulous gift. You'll have to bring it along next time we meet up so I can check out those shoulders, as well. And by the way, it is impossible to give you too much credit. :)
Posted by Julia | June 5, 2006 12:32 PM
Posted on June 5, 2006 12:32
Damn, sister. Hope you don't mind me saying so, but you have yourself one hot 40 year old on your hands.
Sweater looks good too. Looking forwardf to seeing the tatter, as my fella has narrow shoulders, so typical raglans make him look like a 98 pound weakling. A little more shoulder construction might be just the ticket.
Posted by Sarah | June 5, 2006 6:45 AM
Posted on June 5, 2006 06:45
i likeee, i likeee. leo & i are the same age, but ibet i feel loder, lol. i'm looking forward tot he design, when you publish it.
and that man must have some major industrial stubble, if he wears out turtlenecks
Posted by minnie | June 4, 2006 8:52 PM
Posted on June 4, 2006 20:52
Leo's sweater has such a clean lines. I like this design a lot - your work is so professional. May the birthday boy (and he does look so boyish, not four-oh!) enjoy his day and his sweater!
Posted by Delica | June 4, 2006 6:55 PM
Posted on June 4, 2006 18:55
You can add me to the list of non-believers in the Leo-age-conspiracy. LOL
I like what you've done with the sweater. Raglans can do some interesting things at the shoulders... I've also heard of working short rows at the shoulders to make them cup the shoulder more.
Posted by Maria | June 4, 2006 5:37 PM
Posted on June 4, 2006 17:37
Oooh, not only does the raglan shaping make good sense for a nicer fit but it also looks wonderful when viewed from the top. It'll be fantastic when we can see the birthday honoree modeling it.
Posted by Roxie | June 4, 2006 12:35 PM
Posted on June 4, 2006 12:35
I absolutely don't believe you...there is no way that Leo is 40! I refuse!
Posted by Michelle | June 4, 2006 9:34 AM
Posted on June 4, 2006 09:34
That is really neat shoulder shaping! In the book "Knitting from the Top," there is a recommendation to do much faster increases on the raglan lines until the sweater gets wide enough to go to the shoulder tips, then go with a more regular raglan increase and then a little jag of faster increasing again for an underarm gusset type thing. There are some neat calculations in the book....
This looks like a similar concept. I would love to hear more about the origami technique.
Posted by Linda | June 4, 2006 9:28 AM
Posted on June 4, 2006 09:28